Texas homeowner shoots trespasser twice in legs: "A northwest Harris County homeowner says he shot a man in the legs on Friday because the man trespassed on his property. The homeowner told deputies he heard dogs barking so he went outside and saw a man in his backyard. He confronted the suspect and that's when the suspect pulled out some type of hammer or ax. The homeowner then shot the suspect twice in the legs. The suspect jumped the fence and ran off into some nearby woods. A police dog found him a short time later. He was taken into custody on a stretcher."


PA: Low-life mother and son are found not guilty of murder: "A Johnstown mother and son – both facing counts of first-degree murder and life in prison – instead were convicted Friday of less serious manslaughter charges in an Oct. 15 shooting death. Blake Donald, 20, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for firing the single shot that killed 24-year-old Stephen “Travis” Smith at a ramshackle roominghouse in the city’s Hornerstown section. His mother, Jacqueline Webb – whom prosecutors contended had plotting the killing – was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Leiden said, “The manslaughter verdicts essentially said we didn’t prove they went there with the intent to murder Travis Smith. That’s their decision, and I can’t quarrel with it.” Prosecutors contended the 41-year-old Webb, who had been assaulted by Smith prior to the shooting, had called upon her son to “take care of the problem.” But Donald testified he shot in self-defense when Smith charged at him with a sharp weapon in his hand. Webb had repeatedly denied that she had said – as witnesses testified – that she had repeatedly urged her son to shoot Smith in the head after Smith had been shot once. Voluntary manslaughter is a killing done in a moment of passion when a person believes – even unreasonably – he’s in immediate danger of death or serious bodily injury. Involuntary manslaughter is a death resulting from another person’s reckless or grossly negligent conduct." [More details here. It was drug-related]